May 3, 2025: Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) held their nerve in a nail-biting finish to defeat Chennai Super Kings (CSK) by 2 runs in Match 52 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Friday. With this victory, RCB moved to the top of the points table, registering their eighth win in 11 games, while CSK continued their downward slide, remaining at the bottom after their ninth loss of the season.
After being put in to bat, RCB posted a competitive total, largely powered by an explosive knock from West Indies all-rounder Romario Shepherd, who smashed an unbeaten 53 off just 14 balls. His late assault shifted the momentum in RCB’s favor, propelling them to a strong finish.
The bowlers then backed it up with a disciplined performance, led by Lungi Ngidi, who took 3 for 30 in his four overs. Despite late fireworks from Ravindra Jadeja and MS Dhoni, CSK fell short by just two runs, thanks to a composed final over from Yash Dayal, who defended 15 runs against the seasoned pair.
RCB captain Rajat Patidar praised his team’s collective effort in a tight contest. “It was a tight game, but credit goes to the batsmen for the way they batted. The way the bowlers showed courage was tremendous,” Patidar said in the post-match presentation.
The skipper reserved special praise for Yash Dayal, calling him the team’s “death specialist.” He added, “It was a clear-cut thought to give the last over to Yash. He did well last year too, and I’m happy for him.”
Patidar also acknowledged the crucial roles played by Shepherd and Ngidi. “Romario has the power and skill to hit big sixes straight away. As for Ngidi, he brings a lot of experience and has been very consistent.”
While RCB now sits comfortably at the top of the table, Patidar emphasized that the team is not getting ahead of itself. “We are not aiming for qualification yet; three more matches are crucial, and we’ll try our best in all of them,” he said, adding with a smile, “Thoda sa last main karenge” (We’ll party a little at the end).
RCB’s next fixtures will determine their path to the playoffs, but for now, they have emerged as one of the strongest sides in the tournament, combining firepower with discipline under their new captain.